Diana Vreeland’s Secret Vogue Bathroom Memos Have Been Released

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There are two kinds of people in the world: those who can’t believe how much of their own productivity is squandered by spending time in the bathroom, and those who relish how much of their own productivity is squandered by being in the bathroom. Legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, being the former, just decided to work while she was in the bathroom. An ex-Vogue contributor from the Vreeland days sent Visionaire a package of staff memos the editor would dictate from her bathroom in the morning.

Visionaire obtained permission to publish almost 150 of the memos, dated 1966 to 1972. Here’s the text from one on pearl necklaces dated December 9, 1966:

I am extremely disappointed to see that we have used practically no pearls at all in the past few issues. In fact, many necklines could have been helped by pearls worn inside the dress that show inside the cutaway sides and back of most ordinary dresses on top …

I speak of this very often - and as soon as I stop speaking the pearls disappear.

Nothing gives the luxury or pearls. Please keep them in mind.

It remains unclear what Vreeland would do in the bathroom while she dictated these letters.